Devil's Merit
by goddessofsilvermoon
Summary: Hibari always took Mukuro’s so called affections as a joke. But behind closed doors, Mukuro is silently at his breaking point. And as events leads to misunderstanding, Byakuran steps in to take his chance. How does Dino add to the mess? 6918, 10069, D18
1. Cynical Amity

This chapter is basically the introduction to the story… The plot will deepen by the next chapter…

* * *

"_I'm also the new order in your town."_

"_You must be talking in your sleep. Namimori does not need two sources of discipline."_

"_I agree completely. I will become the new order, so you are unnecessary."_

…

_I don't remember when it all began… but since the first meeting… I was captivated by his presence. _

* * *

**Chapter 1- Cynical Amity**

_Everyday it was the same feeling… the feeling of suffocation. Even as Tsunayoshi finally accepted his position as the next head of the Vongola family and took pity as to freeing me from my imprisonment… still I felt trapped. In the end, I was made into merely a puppet… to do the biddings of the Vongolas. How ironic it sounds. Me, Rokudo Mukuro, who viewed this world as a chess board for my game, was forced to become one of the pawns._

_I couldn't go on like this… everyday… every order I took… every mission I was given… I felt humiliated… _

………

"Do you really think you can just waltz out like this?"

His eyes were hidden behind the shadow of the familiar hat he always wore. This Arcobaleno, Reborn, was one of the main reason Mukuro was tied down to the Vongola family. Even after 5 years, the illusionist still had to admit his powers alone were no match for the child who sat in front of him.

A sly smirk formed on his thin lips as he stared straight into the other's eyes. "Well, technically, I am no longer the mist guardian, Chrome is. And now that Chrome is capable of sustaining her own life, I should no longer be kept here… Sawada and the rest will have no objections I'm sure… they might even be glad to finally get rid of me."

Reborn didn't look as though he was taking him seriously… he kept more interest in Leon then at the male who stood in front of him. "Technically, you were named as Tsuna's mist guardian… Tsuna might be too soft hearted and let you do whatever you want, but I'm not like that. You are to stay here, Rokudo Mukuro."

A small frown came on his face… however the smirk was still kept in place. "Don't be so unreasonable, Reborn. I am grateful Vongola has given me back my freedom but I repaid that debt with five years of my service. It is about time you let me go on with my life… Besides it isn't as though I am plotting against Sawada anymore and dear Chrome has agreed to stay and fill in the spot as the mist guardian."

"Indeed you have…" replied Reborn with a bored look. "Alright you can leave then… but in turn you will have no connection to this family."

Mukuro raised one eye brow… this was just too easy…

"Hmmm… but I wonder… who will fill in your place… Chrome might be strong but she is still no match to your skills… If something happens to Tsuna, then the whole family would be in trouble. Especially the guardian would be put to risk… including Hibari."

Mukuro's smirk disappeared and his eyes narrowed… so… he knew all this time…

A smirk came upon Reborn's lips as he looked up at the other. "Yes, I knew of your interest to Hibari Kyoya… isn't that why you always volunteer first on the high rank missions? It is usually either you or Hibari… Even knowing his skills, you still didn't want him to be put into serious danger…" he paused, letting the words sink in. "I know how much you hate the Mafia family… but you put up with it this long because of the cloud guardian. I'm giving you the chance to leave… but just as a reminder… Protecting Tsuna… means you're protecting Hibari Kyoya as well."

* * *

"Mukuro-san!" came the voice as soon as he closed the door behind him.

Mukuro turned his head to the side to see Ken and Chikusa heading towards his direction; as usual, they were overly pleased to see him. Even after all these years, their loyalty to the illusionist didn't waver.

Ken stopped as he got close to the other male. "Are you leaving? … Did that Reborn…"

"No," he said firmly as he started to walk down the hallway. "I'll be staying a little longer."

Ken tried to hide the smile. Of course he knew well aware of how much Mukuro-san desperately wanted to leave this place but when he told him and Chikusa, how they were to stay along with Chrome, he secretly hoped Reborn would refuse the request.

The two followed silently, half a footstep behind the illusionist… until he came to a sudden stop.

Ken looked passed Mukuro to see what had caused the other to stop.

"I've been looking for you."

As Ken opened his mouth to say something back, Mukuro raised his hand, signally him to stop. "We only been apart for couple of hours, Kyoya, I didn't think you would miss me so much," there was the usual smirk on his lips,

Hibari remained emotionless as ever, unaffected by the other's statement. "Don't make me laugh, Mukuro. I want a match… here and now."

Mukuro let out a mock sigh as he stepped closer. "Why can't you drop it, Kyoya? Haven't I admitted defeat several times already? Why can't you be satisfied and leave me alone with these useless challenges?... or…" he raised his hand and lightly touched the other's cheek. "… do I sense an ulterior motive?"

The cloud guardian slapped the hand away, backing up with a disgusted look on his face. "I'll bite you to death if you continue with your sickening jokes, Mukuro… and your half-hearted surrendering won't be enough to satisfy me."

The illusionist let out a soft laughter as he stepped even closer. "What if I'm not joking?" he whispered into the other's ears.

In matter of split seconds, tonfas were hurled harshly towards his face, and Mukuro dodged it by mere inches. As he stepped back he saw the other raise the weapon once more.

He turned around with a small smirk. "I'm in no mood to play with you today, Kyoya… maybe another time…" he said in his usual smooth tone of voice. "Why don't you go look for that dog that usually trails Sawada."

Kyoya dropped his hands to his side, silently disappointed of Mukuro backing down. It wouldn't be fun if the other didn't fight him properly and he wasn't planning to attack when his opponent had his back turned.

* * *

"Let me guess… you're here because Mukuro rejected your callenge."

Hibari followed in, silently watching as the other almost tripped over the flat surface. "Well now I find it completely waste of time."

Dino looked back at the other, the usual grin on his face. "Yea well I gave my subordinates a day off, so yea, it is useless to pick a fight with me. I'll probably just hit myself with my own whip on the first few seconds… But you know, Kyoya, it is rather disappointing that you would only come to see me if Mukuro wouldn't train with you."

"Deal with it," he replied coldly as he sat down on the living room couch.

The Chiavorone boss let out a small sigh as he sat down opposite the dark haired man. "You really don't care how much pain this actually causes me, do you? I confessed my feelings for you multiple times and every time you give me a cold rejection… and just as I am about to get over you, you show up on my door step… Not to mention the fact only time you come to see me is when Mukuro rejects your challenges."

Hibari just stared at the other's eyes; there was no sign of affection or sympathy. It was true that the blonde male had confessed to him many times throughout the years but each time, he never even considered returning those feelings.

"I couldn't care less about what you think of me," he replied with the same emotionless tone.

"Should I tell you why you always reject me, Kyoya?" he said as he leaned back on his seat.

The dark haired man stayed silent, but his eyes held a questioning look.

"… because even with all the denial, you secretly have interest in Rokudo Mukuro."

* * *

Mukuro opened the door quietly, careful to not make much noise. As he thought, he found the girl sleeping when he walked into the room. He sat down at the foot of the white bed, lightly brushing away the strands of hair that fell onto the other's pale face.

Chrome opened her eyes slowly, staring up at the mist guardian. "Mukuro-sama?" she whispered. "… had things gone well with Reborn-san?"

Mukuro smiled softly as he looked at the girl. "Not exactly… but I will be staying here awhile more. Don't worry, my dear Chrome… it seems like we won't be departing any time soon."

However instead of being joyous as he predicted, a sad smile came on the young girl's face.

"I'm sorry…"

"It's fine Chrome. This isn't your fault…"

* * *

"I'll bite you to death."

Dino kept his smile, even though the situation was nerve racking. "Kyoya… think about it. When I said I liked you, you gave me a rejection without a second thought… but when it is Mukuro, you just let him go on flirting with you. Not to mention the fact when Mukuro doesn't have time for you, you come back to me since you know I have feelings for you. It isn't the fact you like me, it is just that you need a fall back. But seriously, I have to admit, the mist guardian is quite attractive… he is well known to be a smooth talker and he does have charisma that most don't have. Besides I head that he told you he liked you and you didn't even give the usual flat out 'no'."

Hibari's eyes narrowed as he glared as the other. "That was plainly a joke. I didn't have to reply to that idiot because he wasn't even serious in the first place. He said that to catch me off guard."

Dino let out another sigh and the other stood up to leave.

"Well since this became another waste of time, I'll be on my way."

The cloud guardian didn't even give the other a chance to speak as he headed towards the door.

Seriously… Him and Mukuro… what a joke. It would nearly be impossible for them to actually be together. They would have their hands on the other's throat let alone carry on a proper conversation.

* * *

Mukuro walked out of the room, closing the door lightly behind him with a small sigh. He knew Chrome would probably need more then just simple encouragement. She was now capable of sustaining her own life with her own illusions and slowly Tsunayoshi was looking into the organ transplant… however, it would be a lie if he said it was that simple as it sounds. Chrome was in need of more rest then others and because of the continuous use of illusion, she became more tired quickly then other.

He was lost in his own thoughts as he walked down the silent hallway and wasn't able to see the person around the corner before he bumped right into him.

"I'm sorry," he muttered as he straightened up once more.

"It's fine…" said the other in a silky tone.

The illusionist looked up to see a man in completely white suit that matched with the silver hair and pale flawless skin. He had to admit, he blinked a couple of times trying to determine if this person was actually human. He had an aura about him that made him seem superior… and maybe even intimidating… but at the same time, alluring. And although he had a grin on his face, his eyes looked rather cold and calculating.

"Who…?" Mukuro asked as he continued to stare at the other.

"You must be Rokudo Mukuro, Vongola's mist guardian. I was told many stories about you…" the man smiled as he held the other's gaze. "My name's Byakuran… the boss of the Gesso family… I came here to have a talk with Reborn and was on my way of leaving."

"Is that so." he replied simply. "Well then, Byakuran-san… let me not hold you up…" One thing Mukuro hated about being Vongola guardian, was the fact he held a position lower then the boss. This also meant that around the other Family's boss he had to keep somewhat of a polite/friendly tone… which he hated doing.

"I think I might have seen you before somewhere… although we never spoke to one another," he said as he looked at the other up and down. "Did you not used to have shorter hair?"

Mukuro's eyes twitched at the statement. Who was he to say about the appearance of others? This man might be the head of the family but what did his own look have to do with anything?

"My reason for the length of my hair is a private matter, which should be quite obvious." he replied with a hint of warning; like poison hidden in the bright red apple.

Byakuran gave a small laugh as he took a step closer. "Don't take it as an insult, Mukuro-kun. I was merely commenting." he raised his hand lightly running his fingers through the other's bluish black hair. "You have a beautiful face… I was just disappointed you decided to cover it up with this hair."

Oh how he wanted to kill this man right there and then. It took basically all of Mukuro's strength and self restraint to not raise his trident and point it at the other's throat.

"You have talent from what I heard… what a pity you became merely a Vongola's puppet… let alone became a guardian of a mere child." there was amusement in the other's voice and a smirk on his lips.

That was it for Mukuro. He was already pissed off at the fact he was stuck being the mist guardian… he did NOT need a reminder.

"Well Byakuran-san… much to my delight of your interest to me, I do not think my hair length is of your business. Also if you have any problem with the way I look, why not avoid looking at me all in total? Completely rid yourself of my presence… it wouldn't be all too difficult. I would hate to be a bother to you and it would be the quite the sorrow at my end to not see you anymore… however…"

His voice held both dramatic and sarcasm… he made a fake expression of dismay, a mock sadness, as he lightly touched the other man's hand, "Shouldn't it be a mutual feeling that we are not meant for each other?" Of course inside the illusionist was starting to feel sick, but he continued anyways. "This is not a fairy tale with love at first sight and a happily ever after… nor are we Romeo and Juliet. I simply cannot 'throw away my name' of Vongola to be by your side,,, but is it not tragic that makes it more romantic?"

With that he walked passed the other who now had a shocked look… he only stopped to turn back to say dramatically… "It would have never worked out between us."

Rokudo Mukuro knew he went a little overboard with his words but he wanted to see that look of surprise on the other's smug face. It wouldn't be a lie to say that the man, Byakuran, annoyed the hell out of him for some reason… well at least he probably wouldn't have to see him anymore.

Byakuran stood there, frozen to the spot, trying to process everything the other had said. The other's words amused him to no end… actually everything about that mist guardian was alluring to him. No one had ever been able to say such things in such a way to him… even his Shou-chan.

"Really… what a pity you are part of the Vongola family... Rokudo Mukuro-kun…"

* * *

_**to be continued...**_

_Preview of the next chapter:_

**Mukuro:** What mission?

**Reborn:** Hibari Kyoya would be involved in the secret mission to invade the Millefiore base. He's the strongest out of all the guardians and…

**Mukuro:** … no… give that mission to me.

......

**Lal Mirch:** Rokudo Mukuro is announced as dead…

**Hibari: **You can't decide that when you have no prove.

**Reborn: **Even if he isn't… if he is captured… he is good as dead.

……

**Byakuran: **How do you feel Mukuro-kun? to be betrayed by the Vongolas?

**Mukuro: **…

**Byakuran: **Even when you say you are not one of them… you secretly had faith in them… didn't you? Should I let you in on a secret Mukuro-kun? about Hibari Kyoya?

* * *


	2. Ice Doll

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**and now... on to the story...**

_......_

_I was at a breaking point. It felt as I would soon become insane if I stayed here any longer. I thought I could endure it; at least a little longer then this._

_......_

_Looking back, I thought it wouldn't affect me all too much to see that klutz of a boss continuously visiting the Vongola base using the meeting with Sawada as an excuse to flirt with Kyoya… If I could just toy with him once in a while, as long as Kyoya still viewed me as a challenge to him… I thought none would really be of importance._

_I miscalculated my limit. In the end it wasn't enough just to flirt with him every once in a while… and my continuous visit to the night clubs and the large amounts of alcohol I consumed every night, still it wasn't enough to drown these feelings._

_I wondered often times what the rest of those guardians would think if they knew this side of me. They already had distaste for me especially that so called right hand man of Sawada. If had they knew of my weakness, it is likely that it would be used against me. After all, the only reason they seemed to be letting me freely roam about this place was the fact they still subconsciously feared my powers. I couldn't afford to be seen as weak… at least, if wasn't for myself, I had to do it for Ken and Chikusa. They wouldn't touch Chrome because they probably preferred her being the mist guardian rather then myself… but Ken and Chikusa was still considered outsider._

_The only reason the Vongola family left them be was because they feared what I would do as retaliation. Isn't that why they silently relied on Kyoya so much? Because finally he was recognized as the strongest guardian, which also meant stronger then me. They wanted Kyoya to act as my restraint… thinking that since I no longer was the strongest, that maybe I wouldn't try to do anything drastic as to betray the Vongola._

_Sometimes, that fact irritated me. Many silently relied on Kyoya. As of still, most of the mission that should be considered suicide missions was given to me. They knew Kyoya was stronger but unlike mine, they valued his life. They held no sympathy towards me, that I knew, and some probably secretly wanted me to die during those missions. But what would happen when I finally leave? Kyoya was strong, I admit, but what if that wasn't enough? The chance of death on those missions were high and there would be no other they would have to send other then Kyoya if I was out of the picture._

_No, I had to trust Sawada's foolish kindness. He might be the head of the Vongola family but he was still just as naive when it came to the matter of life and death. He even was said to be worried for my life… I do not understand why he would… after all, was it not I who tried to take control of his body multiple times? But because of that childish affection, he would be wise when it come to Kyoya's life. Probably he wouldn't just worry about his own well being like some of the other Vongolas… probably… he would at least try to keep all his guardians safe…_

_I had to endure it. I have to push on… rather then breaking down. _

_Like then… I have to act unaffected when I was misunderstood… silently holding back the pain that they all thought I was incapable of. I had to act as if I was not desperate…_

… _desperate to hear from someone that I was needed. _

**_-Katekyo Hitman Reborn-_**

**Devil's Merit**

_Chapter 2-__ Ice Doll_

"Would you like anything to drink, Mukuro?"

"I'm fine Sawada," he replied as he sat down on the chair opposite the desk. Mukuro couldn't help but to note that, even if the Tenth's affection was genuine, he still had trouble meeting his eyes.

"I heard Chrome is doing better… As soon as she recovers she would be put to the organ transplant." Tsuna's voice shook a little. Even though it was years since the last time Mukuro tried anything, he couldn't help but to feel a little nervous around his mist guardian.

However despite his inner feelings, he tried his best to act normal around the other; for some reason, he felt as though Mukuro might not be what other Vongolas portrayed him to be. If had he been really that cold hearted as everyone described, he would have just left Ken and Chikusa behind rather then protecting them… not to mention now, he wouldn't be by Chrome's side. From what Bianchi had told him, Mukuro have never been a second late to his daily appointment with Chrome for five years… unless of course, he was on a mission.

"How is everything? Is Ken and Chikusa…"

"Why did you really call me, Sawada?"

Tsuna looked at the other with unwavering gaze; for a minute they sat in silence. "… I heard you wanted to leave the Vongola. I know you never liked the mafia and held no loyalty as the mist guardian but…"

Mukuro stood up, heading towards the door. "A year has passed since I brought up that topic with Reborn. I suggest you not to worry about trivial matters, Vongola Tenth. Why don't you spend that time worrying about the new formed Millefiore family and their motive rather then wasting your time worrying about my selfish requests."

With that he left, closing the door behind him.

* * *

Most of the days… days where he was not sent on any missions, were dull. He couldn't stay with Chrome for more then an hour as the girl would probably push her limit in trying to keep a conversation going. She would refuse to just rest when he was there, desperately worried about his well being rather then her own. Mukuro often had to make up some kind of excuse to leave so the girl could get some rest.

Ken and Chikusa usually preferred to stay outside of the Vongola base, only coming back when it was necessary and to see how he was doing. They would usually offer to stay with him but Mukuro would refuse silently wishing they weren't chained to this family as he was. He would usually say he rather be by himself and their presence irritated him, but of course, that was a lie.

So Mukuro spent most of his hours locked in his room, not really wanting to deal with the other guardians. He would often find some amusement hearing about the Varia from Belphegor or Squalo. Yes, he kept contact with the Varia… for many reason, they weren't as awkward towards him as the rest of the Vongolas. During the past few years, he was given the offer by Xanxus to join Varia rather then staying as the mist guardian but Reborn refused to let it happen. Of course, probably the illusionist would fit in better when the Varia members then with the other guardians.

_"Squalo is sent to the hospital for the fifth time this week… ushishishi… what a pity… he should know when to stop annoying the boss."_

"Well, if he wasn't as stubborn, he probably wouldn't have lasted this long in the first place," he replied as he stared at the screen of the computer. It was a lot easier to talk to them when he could actually see them… not to mention his room didn't seem as empty.

_"Ushishishi… but I actually prefer hearing them break things rather then Squalo moaning out boss's name at odd hours of the night…"_ his smile disappeared and he had on a disgusted look on his face… or part of the face that wasn't hidden by his long bangs. "_Do you know how loud that shark really is?"_

Mukuro let out a small laugh. The relationship between Xanxus and Squalo was not exactly a secret but he himself found it rather odd. He often had to wonder how the two of them really got along… and the fact that Squalo was sent to the hospital every week, didn't make it seem they had exactly a loving relationship.

The illusionist was about to add a witty comment when he heard the knocking of the door behind him.

_"Ushishishi… it seems like they don't leave you alone…"_

Mukuro straightened up on the chair he was sitting on. "You have no idea…"

_"Well then byebye,"_ he said childishly as the screen went black.

* * *

Kyoya Hibari turned on his phone with a bored look on his face.

_23 missed calls_

_14 text messages_

_9 voicemails._

His eyes twitched at the sight… it was all from the same person… Dino.

He deleted all the texts without much thought and put the phone to his ears to hear the rest of the voice messages.

"_Hey Kyoya! Why don't you answer any of your calls?"_

delete.

"_Kyoya, it's me again. Why is your cell phone off-"_

delete.

"_I'm sure you know who this is-"_

delete.

"_Kyoya I was wonderin-"_

delete.

"_Kyo-"_

delete. delete. delete.

Seriously, one day, he would bite this idiot to death. When will he get the point that he had no interest in him?

"I don't think it's the cell phone's fault, Kyoya…"

Hibari turned around, knowing too well of whom that voice belonged too. "I'll bite you to death."

A smirk came upon Mukuro's lips as his voice held pure amusement. "I would like to take you on on that offer but I'm on my way to see Reborn at the moment..."

"I want a rematch."

Mukuro stopped turning his head slightly to look at the other guardian. "I don't have time at the moment, Kyoya…" he replied, the smirk sill in place.

Hibari glared at the other, "Then make time, bastard. I'm sick of you running away each time."

The illusionist let out a small chuckle. "Kyoya, you are already recognized as the strongest guardian… there is no need for you to pick a childish fight with me anymore. Don't be so unreasonable as to throw a tantrum."

Hibari's eyes narrowed at the statement. Of course, he knew that he, himself, was known as the strongest out of all the guardians. He made it clear when he defeated Mukuro for the 12th time. However that didn't stop the fact that everyone still viewed Mukuro as strong. His reputation was well known and he completed many missions that were considered humanly impossible.

The mist guardian was known for his wits in battle, and never had he showed any signs or weakness or fear… also unlike most of the fools in the Vongola family, Mukuro was never hindered by sympathy or mercy. Even as he made the illusionist kneel before him in humiliation at the end of each battle, he never showed anything else but a cool look... always composed, his head held up high, even at defeat, Hibari couldn't break that pride of his.

It frustrated the cloud guardian to no end; the fact that it was near impossible to be satisfied from those useless battles. Hibari wanted to see it, Rokudo Mukuro being helpless…

"Until I see you surrendering completely begging for mercy… It won't be enough to satisfy me."

"Oya?" Mukuro raised one of his eye brows, "I didn't know you actually had that kind of hobby, Kyoya." he stepped closer until their faces were mere inches apart. "Fukuku… I didn't think you would vision me in such a way."

As the other looked shock, realizing what he was implying by that statement, Mukuro pushed him quickly to the wall. "If you wanted it… all you had to do was ask…" his lips lightly brushed against the others before completely backing up, away from the reach of the other's tonfas. There was the usual smirk on those lips.

"Like I said… I'm busy at the moment. Maybe some other time, Kyoya… we shall continue this in bed," pure amusement was etched on his voice as he walked away, leaving the shocked Hibari behind. "By the way, I'm not usually the submissive type."

* * *

"Millefiore is on the move. From the information that was gathered, Byakuran was sighted at Italy 3 days before but suddenly disappeared from sight… It is likely chance he is at the main headquarters still in Italy but it's getting harder to predict his movement."

Gokudera leaned back on his seat and put his leg up to rest in on the table, earning a disapproval glance from Lal Mirch. "Well we can't really say we didn't predict this," he said, ignoring the girl. "Our main goal is to protect the Tenth… I won't let him die this time… at least, not on my watch."

Yamamoto looked from Gokudera to Lal, a small smile on his lips. "Well from what we know from that trip to the future, all we have to do is prevent Tsuna from attending that fake peace treaty…"

"Well considering you all were sent after Tsuna's death, we don't have a exact record of when or how it happened," she said as she turned away from Gokudera. "We have to be careful. Even the slightest mess up…"

"What if something changes?" asked Lambo. Yes, he was still young, only 11 in fact… and in the way Gokudera put it, 'too young to even understand anything.'

"That won't happen, stupid cow…"

However before he could go on, Lal stepped in, "No actually that is possible. Now that you all know what would happen, there is the chance you might change the future… which includes Tsuna's death."

Ryohei, who was surprisingly silent throughout the time, slapped his fist to the table. "Wait! Are you saying that Tsuna might still die?"

"Yes," she replied, calmly as ever. "If we change series of events that leads to Tsuna's death, or any other events for that matter, there is still the possibility that it might not happen, or alter the event in some way… in which case, Tsuna might not die, or he might die in some other way."

"So what's fated to happen, will happen…"

There was a silence where they just stared at one another.

"What… what does Reborn-san have to say in all this?" asked Gokudera.

Lal Mirch paused before giving a reply. "Even before Millefiore was formed, he has been keeping an eye on Byakuran. As of still, he thinks there might be some way that Tsuna might still die."

"I guess we just have to be careful then," said Yamamoto as he sat back down on the chair next to Gokudera. "By the way, where's Hibari? Wasn't he supposed to come too?"

"Now that I think about it," replied the storm guardian. "Where the hell is that damn Mukuro? Does he even take his job seriously? He should show some respect at least-"

"Hayato," Bianchi interjected. "Don't act rashly… maybe…"

"Maybe what?" he exclaimed. He got up so quickly from his seat, he knocked over the chair, making a loud noise as it fell to the floor. "We all know that he doesn't care about the Tenth! And yet Reborn-san insists that he remains as the Mist Guardian!"

"Don't you think you're being a little bit bias?" asked the swordsman, cautiously. "Hibari isn't here either…"

"Actually I have to agree with Gokudera," said Ryohei in a serious tone. "He never really cared about being one of the guardian… and who knows, he might even betray us. Wasn't he the one who tried to take over Tsuna's body? … The thing about Mukuro is that we can't predict what he is exactly thinking."

There was a long period of silence where everyone was lost in their own thoughts. It was true that they all weren't completely sure of Mukuro's loyalty and from the looks of it so far, he seemed like he didn't care much for Tsuna at all. He completed the mission that was given to him and although he didn't follow anyone's instructions, he still got the job done.

However, even so, they felt nervous every time Mukuro disregarded Tenth's or Reborn's words and did things about in his way. Also considering what he had done to them, although it was long ago, it was still traumatizing.

It was a well known fact that Gokudera hated Mukuro to the very core and Ryohei had doubts about whether the illusionist should really become the mist guardian. Yamamoto of course, tried his best to be open minded, but even he had his limits.

"Well Mukuro was called to see Reborn."

They turned towards Lal, wondering why she didn't say this ahead of time.

"What about?" asked Gokudera, trying to calm down.

Lal turned towards him with her usual blank expression. "About a new mission... regarding Tsuna apparently."

"Wait, why does he always get the important mission?" asked the storm guardian, bitterly. "It isn't as if he is any special. And as far as Tenth is concerned, I'm his right hand man!"

"Calm down, Gokudera… Reborn might have his reason," Yamamoto said in a whisper. However hearing it, the other turned to glare at him.

"Trust me, Storm," continued Lal. "… Be glad you weren't given those missions…"

* * *

"What mission?" his voice was still calm; successfully covering up the panicked state he was in.

Reborn merely looked up at him, almost looking as if he was uninterested on the topic of the conversation, "Hibari Kyoya is to be involved in the secret mission to invade the Millefiore base. He's the strongest out of all the guardians and…"

Mukuro slammed his hand onto the table, "It's a suicide mission god dammit!"

Reborn looked unaffected at the outburst, "We have no choice… no one else would even have a chance of survival. We need to figure out what Byakuran is up to. He was against the Vongola family for quite a while… If we just let this go on…"

A small smirk appeared on his thin lips. "No… you're wrong. This mission… give it to me… I'm the only one who has even the slightest hope of making out of this alive…"

* * *

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

* * *

_Just a little longer… just a little longer…_

_That was what I repeated over and over to myself as I remained emotionless on the white bed. Everywhere I looked, it was just simply white and the smell of sweet orchid was too strong for my liking._

_I made a mistake… a miscalculation. _

"So you finally woken up…"

_That voice… _

"I was afraid I put you into a coma state from all the blood lost…"

… _it was sickening…_

"Mukuro-kun…you passed out for a long time... what were you dreaming about?"

Byakuran reached out and lightly brushed away the long bangs that fell onto the other's pale face. There was a smile on his lips but his eyes remained looking deadly cold. Mukuro stayed emotionless as the other male continued to run his finger through his hair… then his cheeks.

Never in his life… did he feel more vulnerable. Under the sheet, he was naked from waist down and the white button up shirt he was wearing only reached up to his upper thighs. Subconsciously he gripped tightly around the sheets with his left hand… his right being cuffed tightly to the headboard above his head. Fresh cuts covered majority of his body, especially his lower half and he kept his right eye closed, knowing the damage it took made it completely useless.

Mukuro winced slightly as he started to become more aware of his senses. He felt his stomach sickening as he regained conscious of what just happened… and remembering exactly what was the liquid that ran down between his inner thighs.

"You know, Mukuro-kun, this body of yours is so much more interesting then Leo-kun's … oh wait, but that wasn't his name was it?" there was an amused smile on his lips as he continued. "Seriously Mukuro-kun. If you were thinking of seducing me to get information, you should have just used this body from the beginning."

_I would have had to be mentally ill to even have considered using my own body. Even at the thought of you touching me makes my skin crawl. If I can, I would rip this body into pieces and burn it just to not remember how you have violated it._

He flinch as he felt the other's hand trailing lower and lower… The coldness of those hands made him wince… but he didn't make any sounds; not wanting to give the other the satisfaction.

"Was it your first time, Mukuro-kun? … no that can't be… I'm sure you slept with other men before…" the smirk widened as silver-haired man leaned down to kiss the other's neck. "… or is it just the fact you never submitted to anyone until now…?"

"Fukuku… so many question… as usual, you talk too much." The sly smirk reappeared on his face, determined to look unaffected as the other violated his body. "Why not bluntly state what you want to say, rather then wasting time in useless sweet talk?"

The other smiled as he stared into the deep blue eye with unwavering gaze. "Oh? Is that so?"

He flinched again at the sudden intrusion of the other's fingers but kept the smirk in place. "A man who can't get to the point clearly is good for nothing," he said, trying his best not to let his voice shake.

"Well then Mukuro-kun, let me ask you something. How does it feel to be betrayed by the Vongolas? You know, Reborn probably planned this from the start… he knew that to complete the mission meant a sacrifice… he thought that cloud guardian was too valuable so he decided to use you… What a pity, hm? They don't see you as much worth…"

The illusionist stayed silent, trying to suppress the anger that was building up. Of course, what Byakuran said could be true for all he knew, but believing anything this man said at the given situation would probably lead to his own downfall. For his own good, it was for the best not to trust anything the other said.

"Fukuku… well then Byakuran-san, do you? So far, it seems as though to you, I am just merely one of your harem."

Byakuran let out a soft laugher as he began to stand up. The Vongola guardian secretly let out a sigh of relief as he no longer felt the other's cold touch.

"Even though you say you are not one of them… you secretly had faith in them… did you not?" He threw on the white jacket over his black dress shirt, straightening his clothing before heading towards the door. "They abandoned you completely Mukuro-kun. They announced your death yesterday."

"Should I let you in on a secret? … about that Hibari Kyoya you so dearly love?"

"From the past few weeks I learned not to believe in your sweet words," he replied stubbornly.

_I don't want to hear anything from you… I don't even want to hear his name coming from your dirty mouth._

"… Well then, I'll just let you find out for yourself."

.........

_Looking back, I realize I made many foolish mistakes. I should have never involved myself with Hibari Kyoya… or any of the Vongola members for that matter. I shouldn't have done everything according to Reborn's plans… I should have done a better job of covering up my own feelings._

… _and most importantly, I shouldn't have underestimated this man who now stood so proudly in my presence._

_Being chained to this room, held captive by Millefiore's boss, it made me look back upon all the events in my life. All the memories I wanted to forget… all the misjudgment I wanted to overlook… it all came back to me as I stared blankly up at the white ceiling above._

_The thoughts of escape didn't even cross my mind. This time, even I knew it was useless._

_If I learned anything from this incident… it was that there were people in this world, even I should fear. _

_..._

_Kyoya… _

_...how ironic that even in this situation, you managed to appear in my thoughts. Did you not want to see me helpless? begging for mercy? _

… _come find me now… you'll probably see the sight you longingly wanted._

* * *

**To be continued...**

up until now... from _**chapter 1 **_to most of **_chapter 2,_** it was just the **_events of the past_**. Now finally the story catches on to the **_present time..._** or at least mostly.

_Preview of the next chapter:_

-Flashback-

**Byakuran:** Leo-kun.

**Mukuro:** Byakuran-sama?

**Byakuran:** Want me to tell you a secret? … someone is about to die here tonight.

……

**Tsuna:** What about Mukuro?

**Reborn:** There is nothing we can do for now.

......

**Hibari:** You want to know what I hate about you the most? It's the fact you act like you care...

**Dino: **If I didn't care I wouldn't be trying this hard. If I only truly care about how I feel I wouldn't even be helping out that Mukuro! Dammit I'm trying everything to get you to like me!"

**Hibari:** then stop.


	3. Vile Promise

"_I wonder Kyoya, who could you possibly be waiting for?"_

_I turned around, only to see the annoying cheerful face of the Chiavorone boss. "Could it be me?"_

_I glared up at the man before giving a short reply of. "I'll bite you to death."_

_He just laughed lightly as he took a seat next to me on the couch. "…Is it Mukuro?"_

_At first, I turned towards him with an exasperated look. "Why? Jealous?" I asked with a smirk. …In truth I didn't know how to give a direct answer._

_Today was the day I would turn 21 and it seems as though everyone was making too big of a deal out of it. Of course there was the childish routine that was already expected. Tsunayoshi decided that a birthday party and a cake was completely necessary and, whether it was completely out of goodness of the heart or just to annoy me, Gokudera and Yamamoto added in the balloons and streamers._

_Hell, I wanted to get away from it all. The loud music, the stupid people, the pink balloons… So… I fled to the couch next to the window._

"_He's on a long term mission… from what I heard," replied Dino, his smile fading a little._

"_I know… Well I guess it is for the better. At least he wasn't able to carry out the stupid prank he wanted to pull on me when I turned 21."_

"… _are you sure about that?"_

_I looked at Dino with a questioning look but soon I realized what he was pointing at. When I looked towards the window once more, there stood Mukuro, that stupid smirk on his face._

_Glaring at the other, slowly I walked towards the door that led to the outside. "I thought you were on a mission, Mukuro," I said, trying to sound as if I was angered by his presence. _

_The smirk still in place, he raised the bottle of an expensive white wine he was holding, shaking it slightly. "Kyoya, my love, have I not followed all my promises so far?"_

_My frown deepened, debating what part of that sentence was the worst. "I'm not your 'love'… nor do I care for your idiotic prank."_

"_Fukuku… don't be like that Kyoya-chan," he said as he stepped closer. When we were standing not far from each other he put the bottle of wine into my hands. "Happy Birthday, Kyoya."_

_I looked down at the bottle noticing that at the every bottom, was a ring._

…

_That was the promise he made… or in my opinion a stupid prank just to piss me off. _

_It was during the first mission we went on to together; it was also the mission the whole Vongola and Varia betted who would kill the other first. After weeks of stress, I found Mukuro in a bar, drinking alone. But as I took the glass of whatever he was drinking, he snatched it back out of my hands, saying something about how I was still a minor. I thought he was being a hypocrite and we argued for several minutes… In the end, he said something about when I was 21 he would buy me a drink and propose to me on the same day. The argument ended when I was too dumbfounded to speak…_

"_You got to be kidding me…" I muttered._

_Mukuro just gave a short laugh._

…

_At the time, all I thought about was how stupid this person was… 'maybe too much illusion messed up his brain' I thought. I was too concerned about the stupidity of the situation to not even consider asking what mission he was sent to. He laughed and made jokes like his usual self, I barely even realized that his eyes looked tired and looked as if he was slightly limping. He was also a lot thinner then before and his skin, especially his face, looked ghostly pale._

_I didn't realize… what he risked by coming back that day… or what could have happened if Byakuran were to have find out that his new assistant was actually Mukuro. I didn't realize the seriousness of the situation nor the fact Mukuro didn't say the usual good bye greeting of "don't cheat on me while I'm away, Kyoya"._

_Looking back, I didn't realize a lot of thing. The fact Mukuro might have already knew his fate… the fact that this might have been his way of saying farewell…_

…_the fact that… maybe… there was a small part of me, that didn't want this to be merely another joke. _

_**-Katekyo Hitman Reborn-**_

**Devil's Merit**

_Chapter 3- A Vile Promise_

_**-A Year and a Half Prior-**_

_24%…_

He could already hear the sound of the helicopter landing.

_48%…_

Some were making last minute arrangements…

_60%_

He could hear the footsteps in the hallway

_93%_

The knob turning…

_98%_

"Leo-kun?"

_100%... message sent._

Mukuro slowly closed the computer, smiling at the Millefiore boss, who just entered the room. "Welcome back Byakuran-sama," he said sweetly.

Yes, he was already starting to feel sick… the fact he had to act in such a manner, for over a month now, was starting to actually get to him. However no matter how much he wanted to ditch this stage act, he couldn't. This was far the easiest way to approach Byakuran and get information off of the Millefiore database.

Of course it was well known information around Millefiore why Byakuran's assistance constantly kept switching. Apparently for the last 18 or so, Byakuran has so far slept with every single one of them and ended up getting no work done whatsoever… leading to Shouichi finding a replacement every time. In thruth, Mukuro didn't know why he bothered… it seemed kind of useless and waste of time.

So, getting back to the subject, Mukuro ended up having to figure out the type Byakuran usually are taken towards and do his best to act the part. This also meant that the Millefiore boss constantly kept flirting with him but this led to a relationship where if Mukuro found the right moment and the right way, he could basically get anything he wanted.

"What have you been doing here, Leo-kun?" he asked in the same tone of voice Mukuro so dearly hated.

"I was just checking if everything was in order," the illusionist replied tilting his head slightly to one side, making him look more innocent then anything.

"Is that so," Byakuran walked towards the chair behind his desk and sat down.

Knowing that the other was watching, he made it seem as though he was putting some of the files in order. "How was the meeting Byakuran-sama?"

The other took a marshmallow from a bag and put it to his mouth. "It was nothing interesting… but everything seems to be going according to plan… also the one concerning the Vongola tenth."

The illusionist stopped for a moment but resumed not wanting to make it noticeable. "Really… that's good." No… he couldn't ask questions… It would be too obvious.

"Yes well… at least he would be out of the way now… and they would no longer have to stress me out with these boring meetings." He tried to lossen his tie but another decided to do it for him.

Mukuro slowly pulled on the tie off of the other, folding it gently and setting on the desk.

"Thank you Leo-kun," the other said with a small smirk.

The mist guardian smiled sweetly. "Is it really necessary to get rid of Vongolas? I heard the tenth boss was still merely a naïve child."

"Maybe so… but he had made a dramatic improvement in the last few years… However I decided to take my time… I'm not going to put the plan into effect until at least few months, maybe even a year, depending."

Mukuro gave the other a blank look, as if he was having a hard time understanding what Byakuran was telling him.

The Millefiore boss just smiled…

_**-Present Time-**_

"You already knew… from the beginning…"

The other just went on fingering the long strands of blue hair. "Of course, Mukuro-kun… I am not a fool."

"Then why did you just let me send all those information?"

A playful smirk formed on the other's lips as he leaned back on the headboard of the bed and wrapped his arms around the body that was on his lap. "I was bored… and you were fun to toy with."

Mukuro didn't resist at the touch; to his disgust, he was actually getting used to it all. Having no strength left in his body, he subconsciously leaned his head back onto the other's chest.

"That time… you purposely told me…"

"_Leo-kun…"_

"_Yes, Byakuran-sama?"_

"_Should I tell you a secret?... Someone's about to die tonight…"_

"Of course I did," came the reply.

"You wanted me to reveal myself… Fukuku… what if I decided not to save the Vongola tenth?"

"It wouldn't have mattered… It's not as if I didn't want to kill him anyways. Besides, after I mentioned about the cloud guardian being his body guard, I knew you would try to save them."

Mukuro gave out a hollow laugh. "Is that so…? Ah well… I was a fool then…"

……

_If I do this… then the mission would be a complete failure… The years I spend in this mess… it would be all for nothing. But how could they make this sort of a mistake? How could they not know that Sawada's life is in danger if he came._

_And… Kyoya… _

_Why had Reborn only made him his body guard?_

"_Tsunayoshi! GET DOWN!"_

_For a split second… My eyes met Kyoya's…_

_A gun fired…_

_There was no blood…_

… _no screams…_

… _a miss…_

_A smile came upon my lips as I saw rest of the guardians rushing in… Reborn was there along with Lal Mirch. Kyoya was leading Sawada out… They both stared back at me, and I saw from a distant Sawada arguing. Even in this form, he was able to recognize who I was… but Tsuna, you are far too kind. Even in this situation, you think that you can save me as well._

_then… black…_

_nothing…_

… _the next time I woke up, all I could see was white._

* * *

It has been two months since the attempt assassination of the Vongola tenth. The words of the incident had spread to all the mafia families in Italy but only the Varia and the Chiavorone family was informed of what led to the failure.

To their surprise however, some Varia members expressed hint of worry on the topic of Rokudo Mukuro. As for Dino, he rushed in to the Vongola's main headquarters, worried sick for both Tsuna's and Hibari's safety.

For two months everyone was still trying to either get over the shock of the incident or worried about what was to come.

Gokudera was said to have apologized to Tsuna every possible moment he found, saying how he shouldn't even deserved to be called the right handed man and that everything was due to his carelessness. In which, Tsuna would always try to comfort him saying no one should be blamed for the matter and none but dedicated Gokudera deserved such title.

Yamamoto was doing a little better then the overly depressed storm guardian. He was shocked of how the event turned out and also expressed his deep regret that he almost lost his close friend… but mostly, he tried to remain his cool as usual and comfort those around him. The same went for Ryohei, who now spent most of his time trying to figure out how to increase security around the Tenth.

Bianchi couldn't find the heart to tell Chrome what had happened to Mukuro and even Lal Mirch expressed sympathy towards the girl and kept silence. It was an unspoken agreement around them that until Chrome recovers completely she shouldn't be troubled by such heart breaking news. Ken and Chikusa stayed within the Vongola headquarters just in case there was any news of the disappeared mist guardian and tried their best to be a little nice towards the recovering girl.

Hibari Kyoya, on the other hand, seemed to be lost in his own world. He hadn't spoken to anyone unless it was completely necessary and stopped looking for people he could challenge or 'bite to death'. However he was spotted to have gone to visit Chrome Dokuro at many times a week and no one knew what the topics of their conversations exactly were. Some rumors were said that the cold cloud guardian had finally realized his love for Rokudo Mukuro because of this incident and decided to seek comfort in Chrome, who resembled the mist guardian greatly. However this information was not proven and strictly kept undergrounds as many valued their lives.

…

"So exactly what happened? I thought…"

Reborn stood up from his seat and jumped onto the large rectangular table, which around sat Tsuna, the guardians, Dino, and Varia members. "It seems like the future already changed."

"What do you mean?" asked Tsuna who sat at the opposite side facing Reborn.

"Well starting from the time we prevented Coronello's death, it seems as though we changed too many events of the past."

"What do you mean by this, Reborn?" asked Dino. "Are you saying that everything is out of control now?"

He bowed his head slightly, making the shadow of his hat hide his eyes. "Basically, yes. From now on, we don't know what will happen next," he said in a serious tone. "We have to be careful now and make sure these types of accidence don't happen again. Next time, it can be fatal."

The guardians exchanged looks. It wasn't as if this was all that terrible. Technically this was how it was supposed to be from the beginning… not knowing what was to come, not knowing what to expect. As long as they were careful this shouldn't really be a problem. Besides, they were replying on their experience into the future too much to begin with… this might be for the better.

"What about that brat?"

Everyone turned towards Xanxus who sat comfortably, his legs up, resting on the table and his hand on his chin. He had a slightly bored look on his face and as usual didn't seem as though he care even at the slightest about what Reborn or anyone had to say.

"Who are you calling a brat, you bastard!" yelled out Ken who was standing at the sideline until now. Considering how Chrome was resting, he and Chikusa came as her replacement.

"YOOOIII ! SHUT THE FUC-"

"YOU SHUT UP YOU STUPID SHARK!"

A gun shot was heard before either of them could make another remark. Reborn, fired a bullet into the air. "Who are you referring to Xanxus?" asked Reborn calmly.

Xanxus gave the other a glare. "That guardian…"

"Like that's of any help…" muttered Gokudera.

Xanxus turned his gaze to the storm guardian, his hands reaching for his gun.

"Stop! All of you!" this time it was Tsuna who yelled.

There was a pause where everyone tried to settle back down…

"Well if it is Rokudo Mukuro you are referring to, Xanxus," resumed Reborn. "We don't know what has become of him. It is likely chance that Millefiore killed him after he was captured or he might even be imprisoned…"

"And yet… you announced him as dead," Ken said through greeted teeth.

"You have no proof…"

They all turned towards Hibari, who sat there silent until now. No one expected him to talk during the meeting… most of the time he wasn't even paying attention to what anyone was saying in the first place.

Reborn looked indifferent as he gave his reply. "None the less, if he is captured… he is good as dead. Byakuran was known for even killing his own subordinates when they failed him or wasn't needed anymore…"

"But still," said Dino with a small smirk. "I didn't think you would even have the heart to care, Xanxus. Getting soft at your old age?"

"Shut up Buckling-horse," his voice was dangerously low and his eyes were colder then ever. "That brat was always a waste serving the so called tenth boss. Like I said before, he would have fit in better in Varia."

Ken's eyes twitched. Although he agreed that Mukuro-san's talent was wasted on Vongola he still didn't approve of this man referring to him as a 'brat'. Chikusa just pushed his glasses up. He was also annoyed at this situation but he knew it would be wise to just keep quiet for now.

"Why? Because he is insane like the rest of you?" Yes, Gokudera was pushing things a little. But to his defense, he didn't like Xanxus's attitude to began with, thinking he was all that; not to mention the continuous insults to Tsuna.

Every time there was a meeting like this, he acted as if the Tenth was merely a joke and never really cared much for what anyone had said.

Bel had a fistful of knifes as he took a step forward. "Ushishishi… Where should I stab you… your head or your heart?"

Gokudera took out his bombs readying but this time it was Xanxus who raised his hands, stopping Bel.

Xanxus's eyes narrowed as he stared at Reborn. "Seriously I want this boring meeting to end. Get to the point already…"

Reborn looked from the Varia boss to the rest in the room. "We will have to start over in our plan from scratch. New instructions would be given to the guardians and Tsuna, you will have to be more cautious then before."

"Reborn…" There was no hint of the usual cheerfulness in the Tenth's eyes. He looked dead serious and even the way he spoke changed as well. "… What about Mukuro?"

"You're always too soft hearted, Tsuna…"

Tsuna slammed his fist onto the table. "We can't just leave him there, Reborn! He saved my life this time and we left him there!"

Reborn looked away. "There is nothing we can do for now. I already sent a team to investigate what has become of Rokudo Mukuro but it seems as though Byakuran is doing a good job of keeping it a top secret."

"Well if they are keeping it a secret, isn't there a chance that he is alive?" said Yamamoto.

"Yes, but what will you do now? Even if he is really alive are you going to just barge in there and rescue him? Then what about Tsuna? Your first priority is to keep the Vongola's Tenth safe… not go on a rescue mission of someone who might even be dead."

They all fell into silence. They could see the logic in what Reborn said but even so…

* * *

Rokudo Mukuro wasn't dead.

Hibari didn't need convincing or even reassuring from Reborn like the rest of those idiots… it was plainly just a fact. For him the thought that his ex-rival could have been killed, even if it was the boss of Millefiore, he didn't think that was likely or even possible.

The illusionist wasn't the type who would easily go down like this. He would have some way, found a way of escape. Because although Hibari would never truly acknowledge Mukuro of his strength, he would give him credit for being clever and quick witted.

The cloud guardian was silent, lost in thought, as he stared off into the distant. He was standing in the balcony, away from the rest of the noisy crowd who now sat discussing of their next move. He really didn't give a damn about what they were saying. Also even if he was with them and they managed to decide on something, he probably would be reluctant to do as they said anyways. Hibari never did anything he didn't find suitable or to his liking... even if he really was named the cloud guardian. It seems as though the rest of them already knew this fact about him and decided to just left him alone… or at least, most of them.

"Kyoya… I already sent out some of my teams as well… they are all looking for Mukuro even as of now…"

Hibari didn't turn around to face the other, knowing fully of who it was. There was only two people in this whole mess who dared to call him by his first name; one being Mukuro and the other, Dino.

"Are you implying I'm worried about Mukuro?" he said, as if daring the other to answer.

Dino let out a nervous laugh. "Um… well…"

"I suggest you go back and mingle with the rest of them and leave me be, Dino."

There was a small pause, then…

"Why do you always do this, Kyoya? Why can't you just express how you feel?" he said, "It is obvious that you feel something-"

Hibari turned around sharply, his eyes colder then ever as they stared into the other. "What do you expect me to do exactly? Let everyone know what is exactly going on in my head just because they want to know it? Show tears and all those emotion crap just so _you _can feel better?"

"You want to know what I hate about you the most, Chiavorone?" He stepped closer, grabbing onto the collar of the other's shirt, shoving him harshly into the near by wall. "It's the fact you _act_ like you care... I'm not being ignorant. You make yourself seem as though you are helping me but in truth you are suffocating me. You want me to express myself around you but it isn't for my sake, it if for your own. You are only trying to satisfy your own selfish ego that I would rely on you… nothing more."

The cloud guardian gave another forceful shove before letting go. He started to walk away, wanting to find a better place to be away for any disturbance.

"All I'm doing… is trying to help you, Kyoya." The usual grin was gone from Dino's face and his eyes looked dead serious. "If I didn't care I wouldn't be trying this hard. If I only truly care about how I feel I wouldn't even be helping out that Mukuro! Dammit I'm trying everything to get you to like me!"

"Then stop."

"What…?"

"I said stop."

"…Why?"

"If it is taking you this much effort then I'm telling you now, this will never work out the way you wanted. You will have to spend the rest of your years trying to figure out what would please me… how you should act, what you should say… and even then, never will you truly be able to understand. Do you really think I would settle down for anything less then a perfect?"

* * *

It was quite… no sound… no movement. It was as if the time itself inside the room has stopped, leaving everything frozen. There was nothing inside the white room… except for a small white bed.

A man sat on that bed, looking out at the only window. He held an emotionless expression and the eye that wasn't covered in bandage seemed like an empty void. Except for the occasional blinking, his body was motionless as if he was just a doll.

There was the sound of the locks being undone and slowly the door swung open.

"Quiet as ever, Mukuro-kun…"

No response came… the other didn't even acknowledge the other presence.

Byakuran walked over until he was next to the bed and the window. A small frown came upon his face as he stared at his prisionor. It was as if he was irritated, or even slightly angered at the other's lack of attention. He closed the curtain sharply making the room seem unnaturally dark. "What's so interesting that it steals your attention away from me, Kuro-chan~?" he asked in a playful tone. He settled down at the edge of the bed, fondly fingering the other's long hair.

Suddenly, without any warning, the other slapped his hand away.

The smile faded from Byakuran's lips, his eyes narrowing in dismay. This was the first time since Mukuro was brought here that he showed signs of rebellion. He had to say… it was slightly irritating. He was always used to getting things his way… However, before he could say anything the other cut him off.

"I prefer the curtains open."

* * *

**To be continued…**

_Preview of the next chapter:_

**Byakuran:** you know Mukuro-kun… that time at the Vongola headquarters wasn't the first time we spoke.

……

**Gokudera: **So what you are saying is that Hibari was supposed be have been on that mission.

**Ryohei: **It looks that way to me…

**Yamamoto:** then why did Mukuro-? … Hibari!

**Hibari:** Repeat everything you just said… before I bite you to death.

……

**Gokudera: **Tenth! Reborn-san! Hibari… he left for the Millefiore base.

**Tsuna:** WHAT?!


	4. Note

Sorry for the long delay in the updates.

My schedule lately was compact with new events one after another.

I actually **have this whole story outlined from start to finish** however I was debating on whether to **delete the story** thinking no one would probably read it anymore

But it seems as though the recent reviews proved me wrong.

I will update soon. Probably within this week so please be patient.


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